A New Kind of Love
by flamingpen18
Summary: Edward dumps Bella, and she moves on. Victoria is out for revenge. She can't get to Bella because of the wolves, so she decides to create an army. What happens when the Volturi guard and a certain King arrive in Forks determined to deal with the vengeful vampire and her army? And what happens when Bella learns that she is the King's mate?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my third story for FF. I wanted to write something for Marcus. The poor man needs a little happiness. Please feel free to review and give me your opinion.**

**This will be a non-canon story. It is about Bella and Marcus. There will be Edward bashing, so be warned. Also, it is rated M. There will be some violence and lemons. If you are under eighteen, pass on by.**

**I do not own the characters. I just have them playing in my world.**

**I would like to thank my ever- so- lovely pre-reader, Teamhotmen.**

**Kudos to the awesome beta, hapakids. For without her, my writing would be nothing more than a scribbled mess.**

**Chapter 1**

**BPOV**

It was six months ago that Edward dumped me in the forest. At the time, I felt as if my entire world was crumbling around me. Hearing the man that I thought I loved tell me that I was nothing more than a distraction and that he never loved me, played havoc with my already low self esteem. To say that I was hurt, would be putting it lightly. I was devastated.

I did the obligatory crying and a bout of depression. However, after a few weeks, I snapped out of it. I was hit with a moment of clarity, and I, finally, saw everything in it's proper perspective. I was a gullible fool.

Looking back at how Edward treated me, I realized that he never respected my feelings or opinions. He always had to have his way, and if that meant doing things in an underhanded fashion, then so be it. I was his puppet to control. He always told me what to wear, how to act, and even what I should eat. He claimed that he did it because he loved me and wanted what was best for me. The real reason was the fact that Edward was an obsessive control freak. He was nothing more than a spoiled brat who always had to have his way. I also suspect that Edward is probably nothing more than a player. He loves having females fawn all over him. The knowledge that I allowed him to control me must have given him some sort of vampire high. Like I said, I was a fool.

I realized that I was not his mate. If I had been, he never would have been able to leave me and in such a hurtful manner. I don't know why I never saw that sooner. Afterall, I had been around three mated couples for well over six months, and they never treated each other the way Edward treated me. I chalked it up to the fact that he was my first boyfriend, and I was a little light headed over it.

With this epiphany, I was able to get over him and move on with my life. I graduated high school. In fact, I was the valedictorian of my class. My grades were high enough to get me accepted into several prestigious colleges. I, actually, was accepted into three Ivy League schools, an accomplishment that had my father brimming with pride.

Unfortunately, my joy over the colleges that accepted me was short lived. I had decided to attend Stanford and was making the preparations for my departure. I hated the idea of leaving my dad alone to fend for himself. The poor man couldn't boil water much less cook. Sensing my concern for his well being, he gave me one of his famous pep talks, encouraging me to go to school, and that he would be fine. So I acquiesced.

I was uncomfortable with the idea of driving my monstrosity of a truck all the way to California. After careful consideration, I decided to trade it in for a more reliable means of transportation. I had enough money in my checking account to pay for the car upfront (I never told anyone that my grandmother had left me a rather impressive sum of money when she passed away). I found the perfect car for me, and it got great mileage. I purchased a 2009 Ford Focus. Sure, I knew it wasn't flashy or exciting, but it was perfect for me.

I was out shopping for a few more items to take with me, and I was running late. I told Charlie that I would be back in time to make him one last dinner before I left on my journey to California. I rushed myself through the store and practically tore out of the parking lot when I noticed the time. When I finally got home, I saw that Charlie's police cruiser was already there. Getting prepared to do some serious apologizing, I grabbed my things and headed inside. It was then that my life forever altered.

I walked through the front door and called out to my father. When I received no answer, I headed on into the living room. The sight that greeted me would be forever burned into my memory. There lay my father, in a pool of his own blood, with his head propped up on his beloved flat screen t.v. His blood was splattered everywhere. I don't' remember much after that. Everything seems to be a blur. I vaguely remember calling 911 and of calling Jake, my best friend. I was on autopilot.

The pack from La Push made it to the house before the police and ambulance did. I felt Jake grab a hold of me and carry me outside. He stayed with me the entire time I had to give the police my statement. The officer who came was good friend of Charlie's and even he had difficulty dealing with everything. As soon as I was finished, Jake informed me that he was taking me to his house, and that I wouldn't have to worry about anything. He said that the pack would do whatever cleaning up that needed to be done. I allowed myself to be taken away from the horror. When we reached Jake's house, he took me to his room and layed me down on his bed. It was then that the floodgates opened, and I cried my heart out, grieving for the loss of my father.

It was two days later that we had the funeral for my dad. Everyone from Forks showed up to lend me their support. As miserable as I was, I was encouraged to both see and hear how much Charlie meant to everyone. It was a small comfort that I took away with me.

I was still staying at the Black's house, when Jake came to me while I was cooking dinner for us and his father. He informed me that Sam, the alpha of the pack, needed to speak with me. We drove over to the house that Sam shares with his imprint, Emily. They lovingly greeted me and asked me to sit down. I was a bit apprehensive and curious as to why they were all acting weird. I asked him to just come out and say whatever it was that he needed to tell me. Sam respected my request and told me what was going on.

He informed me that when he and the pack went inside my house that the first thing that hit them was the stench of a blood sucker. I was not too shocked by this bit of information. Due to the way my father was killed, I had my own suspicions that a vampire killed him. He also informed me that a note was left by my father's body. Obviously, I never saw it. He handed it to me to read, and I just about lost it. It was from the red headed tramp, Victoria. She claimed that she was out for revenge, and that I was going to pay because her mate was killed. I saw red. The lousy Cullens were responsible for his death, not me. Why should I be the one to pay for their actions?

Jake asked me who the hell Victoria was, and I told them everything. They growled when I got to the part of how James attacked me, and how he was the one that broke my leg. Poor Jake! He got so angry, he had to go outside before he shifted right next to me. It was then that Sam decided that I would be staying on the reservation. It was for my protection. I agreed with him, although I wasn't happy about it.

I knew that as long as a revenge bent vampire had it out for me ,that I would not be able to attend school at the time. I called the school, informing them that my father was murdered and that I wouldn't be attending this year. After hearing their condolences, they, graciously, offered to save my spot for the next year. At least , this way, I would have something to look forward to.

A month passed and the pack was constantly out on patrol, with only one staying behind to guard me. I really hated the babysitting. It was late one evening when a loud howl was heard. I knew that they must have come across something. I eagerly waited to find out what happened. It was about an hour later when Jake came home. He was angry and muttering to himself. I stepped forward and placed my hand on his arm. He glanced down to me. Wrapping his arms around me, he informed me of what happened.

Jake told me that Paul was on patrol when he came across the scent of a vampire. He called out to the rest of the pack and they went on a hunt, looking for the "leech" as he put it.

They were finally able to surround the vampire. Jake believes that the vampire was only recently changed. He had no fighting ability, but he was strong. Jake informed me that it was Sam who was finally able to take a chunk out of the "leach". It was then that the vampire realized what he was up against. He started to beg for his life in exchange for information about Victoria's plans . Realizing that they had a chance to find out what was going on, they decided to let him live. Well, they let him live a few moments longer.

Jake informed me that Victoria is creating a newborn army to, not only kill me, but she has decided that she wants the wolves as well. I nearly lost it. The last thing that I wanted was for more people to be killed because of me. I started to talk about leaving, but he wouldn't hear it. The pack had vowed to protect me, and protect me they would.

A few weeks later, Jake came home to inform me that the "red head", as he calls her, had been weaving her way in and out of Forks. The pack wasn't sure what her plans were, but they stepped up their patrols just in case. He also told me that the pack had picked up the scents from several other vampires. This had me very concerned. Since the Cullens have moved, there really wasn't any reason for there to be new vampires showing up. It was then that I caught sight of that day's newspaper. The front headlines spoke of mass disappearances and of what they referred to as "gang violence" going on in Seattle. Upon closer inspection, I realized that there was no way that what was going on was due to any sort of gang. The fact that people were missing, spoke volumes to me. Based on the destruction that was going on in such a short period of time, it sounded all too suspicious to me. There was no way that any humans could have been responsible for all of it. With the evidence before me, I concluded that both the disappearances and the violence could only mean one thing: there were vampires around.

**JPOV**

I always knew that those filthy blood suckers were going to hurt her. Bella never deserved the pain that they have caused . The blind devotion that she had willingly given to them was all, but thrown back in her face. Now, all that love that she had felt for them has gotten her nothing but pain and agony.

I stood by her side, watching her suffer from the loss of her father. I knew that there really wasn't much I could do for her, but to lend a shoulder for her to cry on, but I would have given anything to take the pain away from her.

If the pain of losing her father wasn't enough, she now had to deal with the knowledge that there was a vampire hell bent on getting her revenge against her. What concerned me most was Bella's reaction to the news. I would have expected her to be freaked out, or at the very least, very concerned. However, Bella showed next to no sign of distress. It was as if she didn't care.

As life has often taught us, bad things often happen in threes. While Sam and Jared were on Patrol today, they caught the scents of even more blood suckers. Since the scents were fairly fresh, they made the decision to track them. What they found would further shock them. It would seem that the very dreary town of Forks was now a hot bed for vampire activity. Apparently, some sort of leech royalty had come to clean up the "mess". It would seem that creating an army of vampires was against their laws. Who knew vampires even had laws? According to Sam, whoever these leeches were, they were fairly civilized. They had even gone so far as to request a meeting with the pack. Sam agreed, with some reservations. Unfortunately for myself, Sam decided to leave it up to me to inform Bella of the newest developments. The meeting was set for later this evening. I needed to hurry up and get this over with. Yea, I was afraid to tell her. I'm man enough to admit it.

So here I am, standing on my front porch, nervously waiting for Bella to come back from her shopping trip with Emily. According to the clock, Bella was due back at any moment. My nerves started to get the better of me, and I began to nervously pace the the small excuse for a porch we had. A few moments later, I heard the quiet purr from Bella's new set of wheels. I raced forward to help her with her purchases. Marshalling up some courage, I told her I needed to speak to her.

"Bella, we need to talk. Something urgent has come up, and you need to be made aware of what it it," I told her hesitantly.

Noticing my hesitation, Bella came over to me and gave me a brief hug. "Jake, what's got you some upset? Is it news about Victoria?" she asked me quietly.

"Well, it's more like news that involves Victoria," I replied tersely.

"Just come out and tell me what it is. I can handle it," she assured me.

I grabbed a hold of her hand, and led her over to the steps. I sat down, pulling her down next to me. "Sam and Jared have come across something while on patrol earlier. By something, I mean someone, several someones," I anxiously replied. Bella's eyes widened.

"What do you mean by that? Who did they find?" she demanded.

"It would appear that the vampire royalty have arrived in our little corner of the world," I told her sarcastically. Really, this is just like something from a comic book.

"The Volturi are here?" she asked in a whisper, while gripping my arm tightly.

I looked over at her in shock. How the hell did she know about them? Wait, the Cullen's. Those bastards are more trouble than they are worth.

"Yes! I shouldn't be surprised that you know of them. Afterall, they must have been apart of the lovely education you received at the hands of those lousy Cullens." I shook my head, running my hands over my closely cropped hair.

"Tell me everything, Jacob. I need to know," Bella begged.

"From what I got fro Sam, one of the Volturi kings and several of their guards have arrived to deal with Victoria and her army. According to what the king said, Victoria has broken vampire law and must be punished," I finished.

"Do you know which king it is?" Bella asked nervously.

"Uh, yea, it's some guy named Marcus. Sam did say that this Marcus guy seemed to be pretty decent, you know, for a vampire. There's just one more thing. The Volturi are meeting up with the pack. They want to run over details about Victoria with us," I informed her quickly. Watching Bella closely, I could tell what she was thinking. She had that look again.

"When are they meeting up, because I think I need to be there," she told me.

I frowned, trying to keep my composure. Does she have a death wish? Shaking my head, I replied, "Oh, hell no! You are not going to that meeting. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Will you just listen to what I have to say, instead of trying to make my decisions for me. I know about vampires. It's against their law for a human to know of their existence. I can't hide forever. Don't you think they will find out about me? If they do, and they learn that the pack was hiding me, it could end up very ugly. I can't run from this," she told me sadly.

I knew she was right. I hated it, but I knew. It ticks me off knowing that the Cullens are roaming around, while my best friends is being forced to pay for their screw up. It's not right!

"I know, Bells. But that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. I'm worried about you. In fact, it's more like I'm scared shitless," I explained.

"I know you are," she said while rubbing my arm to comfort me. "You're my best friend. I am thankful to have you as my bestie."

"Are you positive that you want to go to the meeting? If so, we will need to head on over there now," I told her.

Shaking her head yes, she replied, "Yea, though I would say it's more like I have to go," she clarified.

OK, fine! Let's get a move on. We have to meet them on the border," I told her.

"And how do you plan on getting there?" she asked me, trying to figure out what I had in mind.

"I just thought you could ride on my back. You know, like you would a horse," I clarified for her, smiling at the look of astonishment on her face.

"Um, yea, you do know that I have never ridden a horse before, don't you?" she asked me while attempting to hide her fear.

I shook my head and told her, "How hard can it be? All you have to do is hop up on me and hold on for dear life."

"Okay, fine. Whatever. Let's just get a move on. We're wasting time here," she commanded.

"Give me a moment to switch over to my wolf form," I said, running behind a tree to make the change. When I finished, I loped over to her and knelt down on all fours, so that she could get up on my back.

**BPOV**

I hopped up on Jake's back, proud of myself for being able to did it in my first attempt. I got myself situated, holding on very tightly to the fur at the scruff of his neck. Luckily for me, the fur there seemed to be longer that the fur elsewhere on him. It almost seemed like it was designed to be that way, so a person could ride on his back.

Jacob stood up, and with a deep grunt, sped off into the forest. He was fast. In fact, I think he's almost as fast as Edward is. We raced through the trees, and I was surprised to see a rather large group of vampires who were unmindful of their sparkling skin. They looked over at us when they heard us approach, and I gasped. Oh my God!

**A/N: Well, there you have it. The first chapter. I have had this written for quite a while, but I didn't want to post it until I was close to finishing Sunrise and Unexpected Love. ****I am posting this now to try to see how it is going to be received. Please let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N I do not own it, but I love playing around with it.**

**I have had amazing responses to the first chapter. I really only posted it to get a feel of how it would be received. There aren't that many Bella and Marcus fics, so I just needed to know.**

**I can't promise that I will have a normal posting schedule. I am finishing Unexpected Love and Sunrise has reached a critical point. Also, my RL loves to beat the snot out of me. I will post as often as I am able. Please be patient. I already know where this story is going. I've been stewing on it forever!**

**Just to let you know: I do love Christopher Heyerdahl's portrayal of Marcus in the movies. However, in this story, he just doesn't fit in with where I'm taking it. I am using British model, David Gandy, as my Marcus.**

**I would also like to point out that Didyme was Marcus's mate, and she was killed by werewolves. From the time of her death, he has been in constant mourning, unable to find joy or peace.**

**I am sorry this has taken a while to post. I ended up sick as a dog with strep throat. I went 22 years having not gotten it and then, wham, I got nailed. It dropped me like a stone. Unfortunately, it also put me behind on a great many things.**

**I have no beta, so all mistakes are my own.**

**Chapter 2**

**MPOV**

Here I was, sitting alone in the dark confines of my private chambers. This is where I was often found, sitting here and wallowing in self pity.

Two thousand years I have spent as an empty shell. I no longer laugh like I once did. The joy I had once felt all those many years ago has long since abandoned me. Smiling had long since become a thing of the past. I have become nothing more than an apathetic shell of a man. This was now all I knew. I was nothing more than a hollow being with very little purpose.

Sure, I sat on my throne every day as was my duty as one of the three kings. However, I gave little to no response to any and all proceedings. The extent of my usefulness only went as far as I reading any interesting lines among coven members that stood before us and then briefly touching Aro's hand to enlighten him of those lines. Other than that, I did nothing, said nothing.

I even went so far as to lock myself away in this castle, never once stepping foot outside in these two thousand years. I no longer accompanied the guard on missions as I once did all those years ago. I long since ceased to be the great warrior I was once known to be. Instead of vampires gazing upon me in fear, they now gaze upon me with pity, even those I would call enemies.

I wanted no part of this endless existence. Having to endure this agony of losing my sweet, precious Didyme is much more that I can bear. Why would they not let me end my misery? Is it not my decision to make? Am I not the one who lost their mate?

Oh, I was well aware of what Aro had done. He had Chelsea use her gift of relationship manipulation on me to keep me tied here. Of course, I knew. Our gifts were quite similar, and I would have to be a fool to not know. The pale purple line that now tied me here to Volterra was a dead give away. And it was a giveaway that I greatly resented.

My brother in law will not allow me to end my life. He believes that there can be happiness for me, and that I can find love again. The very notion is blasphemous to me. The thought that I could love another who is not my Didyme is preposterous.

It confounds me to no end when he makes mention of these thoughts. Didyme was his sister, his twin sister. Does he not feel her loss too? Of course, he will never feel it on the level that I do. The loss of one's mate is more excruciating than that of the burn from our change into this life. One cannot even begin to comprehend the amount of pain I suffer unless they themselves have felt such a loss. But Aro should know more than anyone what I feel. She was his sister!

Oh, I know he misses her. I also know that her death hit him much harder than he has ever allowed anyone, other than our immediate circle, to see. For all of his bravado, Aro is a very loving and sensitive man. He and Didyme shared a very unique bond, a closeness that I can only attribute to them being twins. Yes, I know he still hurts, even to this day.

Losing Didyme had left a void that nothing can fill.

Which leads me to the inner turmoil that I have been experiencing. Lately, I have become anxious. I suppose that is the best way to describe the feelings that have been coursing through me. The continuous barrage of emotions have become a distraction to me. Perhaps they wouldn't have become so, if I had not spent the last two thousand years in a depressed and apathetic state. I was utterly unprepared for this.

I felt as if I was being pulled into a particular direction. At first, I made every attempt to ignore it. However, my attempts were futile as the pulling sensation began to intensify and even began to become painful. Deciding that the best course of action would be for me to follow the direction in which the pull was leading me, I gathered myself together. With a great deal of reluctance, I threw open the door to my private chambers and walked out into the empty corridor. I then allowed the pull to take command of my body, without paying much attention to where it led me.

After a few moments, I came to an intricately carved oak door. I knew this door well as well as what lay beyond it. I had not been to this part of the castle in two thousand years, and it was I who had locked this door. In fact, everyone knew that no one was to tamper with it, nor were they to attempt to go do so would automatically put them under the death penalty.

I stared at the door for a moment, wondering why I was pulled here. Taking a deep, unnecessary breath, I reached for the chain that I kept around my neck. Attached to the chain was the only key in existence that would fit the lock. Slowly, I removed the key and fit it into the lock, swinging the door wide open.

I stepped out into the small private courtyard that my mate had claimed as her own to do with as she chose. Bright sunlight shone in my eyes as I took another nervous step in my Didyme's private garden. My beloved mate had created this little paradise for herself due to her passionate love of flowers and their varying beauty. When she was taken from me, I could no longer bear the sight of my Didyme's pride and joy, her garden. So I locked the only entrance to it and banned everyone from ever entering. If anyone was found in the garden, I would, personally, end them. I wanted it to remain untouched.

Unfortunately, two thousand years of neglect have taken it's toll, and the garden was no longer beautiful. Ever flower and shrub had long since died, leaving nothing but decay. It was oddly reminiscent of my emotions.

I walked toward the center where Didyme had placed a marble bench. From this vantage point, one was able to enjoy all of the allure that the garden, at one time, had to offer.

When I reached it, I stopped dead in my tracks. What was that scent? No! It could not be! I must be imagining it, I thought to myself. The scent of honeysuckle and rose lingered in the air. It was not too strong but not quite faint either. How is this possible?

As a rule, no two vampires had the exact same scent. It was much like humans and their fingerprints. It is how we are able to identify others, after we have made their acquaintance of course. Vampires usually possess several different scents with two being the most prominent. And in this case, honeysuckle and rose were the scents that belonged to my Didyme.

I inhaled more deeply and took in the underlying scents of sunshine, freshly cut grass, and gardenias. Yes, it was my Didyme's scent. But how can that be? The scent was fresh as if my Didyme had recently been here. But that was not possible. Is my mind playing tricks on me? Have I finally lost all sense of reason?

"Brother?" I heard called out from the doorway.

I turned to see Aro standing there, respectfully waiting for my permission to enter.

"Aro, can you smell it?" I asked him.

I watched as confusion flit across his aristocratic features. He inhaled quickly, his crimson eyes widening in surprise. "That is not possible!" he firmly stated.

"I know, but how do you explain the fact that it is my Didyme's sweet fragrance that we can smell?" I questioned.

Shaking his head, Aro replied, "I cannot. There is no explanation for this phenomenon. At least, none that I can come up with."

I shook my head, wishing for the answer to this riddle. "Aro, this may come off as me sounding a bit unhinged, but I felt a very strong pull to come here. A pull that was very reminiscent to the mating pull," I explained to him.

He looked at me oddly as if trying to figure out my thoughts. Then shrugged, giving up on the attempt. "Marcus, I have noticed you being distracted lately. You have been not yourself, even more so than usual. May I have a look at your thoughts. Perhaps I can get a better idea of what you are referring to," he asked me, stretching his hand out towards me. I gestured with my hand for him to come out to me.

Aro hesitantly stepped over the threshold and walked over toward me. I saw him inhale deeply again, taking in the scent of his long lost sister. Reaching out to me, he picked up my hand. Immediately, I could feel the rush of my memories replaying for Aro to see. I will never get use to that sensation.

It was over almost as soon as it began, and Aro dropped my hand. He looked at me quizzically. "Marcus, I think it's obvious that all these things that you have been experiencing are signs. I cannot tell you what they are showing you. Only you are able to make that determination. However, I think you need to do something about it. Ignoring these occurrences is only going to make things worse for you."

I angrily raked my hands through my hair, collapsing down on the stone bench. "What am I supposed to do? How am I even supposed to know where to begin?" I asked in frustration.

Aro walked over and sat down next to me. Placing a comforting hand on my shoulder, he replied, "I think the answer is in the pull you have been feeling. Let that be your guide. And remember, you are not alone." With that he stood up and made his way over to the door. "Oh, and before I fail to mention it, Caius and I need you in my study. We had a disturbing report come in about newborns, and we need to look into it," he informed me while on his way back inside.

I sat there for a few moments more, endeavoring to take in Aro's suggestion. It was plausible, and I desperately needed to discover the hidden meaning to the clues that I have uncovered. Deciding that my best course of action would be to follow the "pull" I was experiencing, I stood up and made my way back inside. I quickly locked the door, promising to come back to the garden at a later date to see that it get the proper care it deserved.

I quickly headed down the winding corridors on my way to Aro's private study, feeling oddly inquisitive over the situation with the newborns. This is the first time in a long time that I have felt any sort of interest in, well, anything.

I reached the study and walked right in. Both Caius and Aro were already there, waiting for me. I strode over to my customary chair and sat down. Looking back and forth between Caius and Aro, I asked, "So what have I missed?"

Caius jumped a bit when he heard me speak. His silver eyebrow shot up in question as he looked at me in shock. I suppose I have been a great deal more withdrawn that I had realized.

Aro ignored Caius' reaction and turned to me. "I received a rather disturbing telephone call from Eleazar a short while ago. He informed me that there appears to be an outbreak of newborn attacks in the Seattle, Washington, USA area. Based on the evidence he presented, I have to agree with him," Aro enlightened me.

Caius grunted in response, while leaning back in his chair and crossing his ankles. "We send the guard to handle this. It needs to be dealt with immediately, before the risk of exposure becomes too great," he postulated.

I sat there, agreeing with Caius. However, the pull in my chest distracted me yet again. Why was I feeling it now? What did it have to do with the newborn situation? I thought to myself. I looked up to see both Caius and Aro watching me closely.

"Marcus, what is going on with you?" Caius inquired, looking at me oddly.

"Marcus is just dealing with some personal issues," Aro jumped in before I could answer. I nodded slightly, thanking him for his attempted deflection.

Caius looked at me for a moment and then shrugged, letting the subject go. "OK, so we are all in agreement, correct?" he asks, changing the subject.

Aro quickly nodded his head, and they both turned to me. That pull kept getting stronger, and I knew what I must do. "I agree. However, I will be joining them in this mission," I informed them.

"What!?" Caius yelped, jumping to his feet and knocking his chair over at the same time. "You can not be serious. You have not stepped foot outside the castle walls in two millennium. And not only that, but this happens to be a newborn problem. It is too dangerous," he continued angrily.

"Caius, calm yourself. You are not helping matters, flying off the handle like that," Aro rebuked, trying to ease the tension.

"I cannot explain it to either of you. All I know is that I feel like I need to go," I told them somberly.

"You need to go? Why? Is this a suicide attempt? Because if it is, you are going to be putting the guard in danger," Caius said accusingly while getting up in my face.

I let loose a ferocious growl. How dare he! My honor will not be taken into question!

"You forget yourself, Caius. Never question my honor again! This has nothing to do with suicide as you so callously call it. Like I said previously, I need to do this. That is all you need to know," I said angrily. Looking over at Aro, I could see the acceptance in his eyes. He knew why I was going. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready. We will be leaving within the hour!" With that, I stormed out of the study and headed back to my chambers.

**APOV**

I watched as my brother stalked out of the room. Caius had manger to stir up more emotion in him than I had seen in a great deal of time. Whatever was going on with him was certainly having an effect.

"Caius, that accusation was uncalled for, not to mention being insensitive," I admonished him.

"Ugh, I know. It was just so unexpected of him to volunteer to go on a mission. In fact, his participation was unexpected," he replied in shame.

"I know, but like I said, he is dealing with something right now. And before you ask, I can't tell you what it is. I'm not even sure what it is, other than the fact that it seems like fate is trying to lead him somewhere. Cryptic, I know, but that's the closest thing I have to explain it," I told him.

"Fine, whatever you say. Besides, none of that made any sense to me. So you're fine with him going, even after him being out of action for so long, " Caius questioned me.

I think about it for a danger is certainly there, but Marcus was once a fierce warrior, and I have faith in his abilities. "Of course I would worry to some extent, like I do for the guard when they go out on a mission. But don't forget that Marcus was, at one time, the greatest warrior the world had ever seen. He can handle it," I said reassuringly.

"I hope you're right about this, Aro. I would hate to lose him," Caius said, walking slowly out the door.

The only thing I was certain of was that something was going on, and I believed fate or whatever you call it had a hand in it. I just hope Marcus comes out of it stronger than he was when he went in it.

**Well, there you have it. I wasn't going to post this chapter until Sunrise and Unexpected Love were posted. However, when I saw the 42 reviews and the 120 follows from just the first chapter, I decided to go ahead with it. **

**Just so you know, I will not be posting chapter 3 until I post the new chapters to my other two stories. I hope this will tide you over.**

**Also, are there any guesses as to who Marcus was when he was a human? Let me know.**


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